Breathed With Joy
by WinterSky101
Summary: Lemay has an April Fools' Day surprise for Constance. Established Constance/Lemay. Modern AU.


**This is my first foray into posting anything I've written for the Musketeers fandom, so I hope people like it! As someone who adored Doctor Lemay, the end of season two _hurt_, and although I do love Constance and d'Artagnan together, I must admit that I also shipped Constance/Lemay (and Constance/Queen Anne, but that's neither here nor there). Writing some fluff with Constance and Lemay is my way of coping with the fact that they'll never have the chance to get together. I hope others enjoy this April Fools' fluff too!**

**The title comes from a quote from William C. Bryant: "There is no glory in star or blossom till looked upon by a loving eye; There is no fragrance in April breezes till breathed with joy as they wander by."**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Musketeers.**

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"Darling? I'm home!" Constance called as she entered the house. She knew Lemay was in there somewhere, probably in the kitchen; it was his day off at the clinic and the house smelled of the apple cinnamon muffins he would often make. Kicking the door closed behind her, Constance added, "And you will not _believe_ what Aramis did today. That man takes April Fools' far too seriously. He propositioned me _four_ times before Athos and Porthos distracted him. I don't want to know what they did."

"Constance, dear," Lemay stated as he stepped into the living room (with a plate of muffins, as Constance had expected), "you know how we've been talking about getting a dog?"

"Yes?" Constance replied slowly, not quite sure where Lemay was going with this point.

They'd been thinking about getting a dog for months, but they were starting to feel a little disheartened - they'd had false starts with dogs who got adopted before they could meet them, a few dogs who were great on paper but didn't seem right in person, and even a dog they had fostered for a week before they admitted defeat. It was difficult to find a dog who met their needs - they had a small house with a small fenced yard, so they could exercise the dog to an extent, but they both worked and couldn't take care of a dog who was too energetic. And then there was the matter of temperament around people - Anne and baby Louis were constantly there, meaning the dog would have to be good with children. D'Artagnan spent nearly as much time sleeping on their couch as he did staying in the apartment he shared with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. And as for the three Inseparables, as they were half-jokingly called, Constance and Lemay's house was neutral ground whenever they fought, so it wasn't exactly surprising to find one of them sleeping on their couch if d'Artagnan hadn't already claimed it. A dog who didn't do well with strangers wouldn't do, considering the amount of traffic in their house. If not for the fact that both of them felt immensely uncomfortable with the idea of buying a dog from a breeder, they probably would have given in and done that already.

"Well," Lemay stated slowly, a smile on his face, "I didn't get a dog today."

Constance frowned in confusion. "...Okay?"

Beaming, Lemay pulled a blanket off a small crate she hadn't realized was there before, revealing a small, sleeping puppy inside. "April Fools," he stated as he opened the crate, took the puppy out, and held it out to Constance.

"Oh my God," she whispered, taking the puppy into her arms immediately. "How...?"

"Her mother was brought into rescue heavily pregnant," Lemay replied, looking pleased at her reaction. "She's a purebred golden retriever, and the people at the rescue say they think the father was probably a lab. This little one is almost two months old." Sitting next to Constance, Lemay added, "Yesterday, I went to visit her with Anne and baby Louis, and we met up with Athos and Porthos when we got there. She seemed good with all of them, even the baby. Aramis and d'Artagnan don't know, since we weren't sure they could keep it a secret from you, but she seems like she'll fit all our requirements. Technically, we're fostering her with the option to adopt, but I think it'll work out." Studying Constance, who still hadn't said anything, Lemay's face fell a tiny bit. "Unless you think it's the wrong choice," he added, backtracking quickly. "I would have told you, I just thought it would be a good surprise and-"

Constance cut Lemay off with a gentle kiss on his lips. "It's perfect. _She's_ perfect," she whispered. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like her," Lemay replied, beaming again. "What do you think we should name her?"

"Hmm." Constance studied the sleeping puppy in her lap. "What do you think of the name Aimée?"

"Loved?" Lemay replied, looking not at the dog but at Constance. "I think it's quite appropriate."

"I love you," Constance whispered. Lemay smiled and took her hand in his, squeezing it. "You know what this means, though, don't you?" she added. Lemay blinked.

"What?"

"We're going to be forced to invite all our friends over so they can meet the dog," Constance replied. Lemay blushed.

"I may have already told Anne and Louis to come over with the baby if I didn't cancel, and Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan are probably on their way as well."

Constance laughed, taking a muffin from the plate and taking a bite.

"I just hope you have enough muffins for everyone."

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**Just a note: The entire background of Constance and Lemay's difficulties in getting a dog is based on similar issues my own family is currently having in our attempts to get a new dog. The comment on breeders is not supposed to insult anyone who _did_ get their dog from a breeder; that's just another example of me projecting my own feelings and frustrations with getting a new dog onto Constance and Lemay. In the same vein, I would _not_ suggest that other people buy surprise dogs for their significant others unless they've discussed the idea before, as Constance and Lemay did; buying a dog (and thus vowing to take care of and be responsible for that dog) is _not_ something to do on a whim.**


End file.
